Caster



CAREY E. BUNKER, OF OREGON, MISSOURI.

CASTER.

Application filed November 22, 1920. Serial No. 425,882,;

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known. that I CAREY E. BUNKER, a citizen of the 'United States, residing at Oregon, in the county of Holt and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Casters, of which the following is a specification. w

This invention relates to adjustable casters for furniture and the like, the principal object of the invention being to provide means whereby the caster maybe made to project more or less from the leg so as to make the article of furniture set level.

Another object of the invention is to,,pro-

vide means for: holding the caster stem iii the adjustable member. 1

This invention also. consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several.

parts,'to be hereinafter, fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended I claims.

In describing invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a sectional view showing one form of the invention. I I

Figure 2 is a view of the screw threaded member.

Figure 3 is a view of the locking'nut.

Figure 4-. is a sectional View showing a modification.

Figure 5 is a sectional detail view of this modification.

Figure 6 is a view of the thrust carrying cap shown in this modification.

Figure 7 is a sectional view showing a screw threaded sleeve carried by the leg for receiving the screw threaded member.

Figure 8 is a sectional view of another modification.

Figure 9 is a sectional view of a further modification.

In these drawings 1 indicates the leg of the article of furniture to which the caster is to be secured. A hole 2 is bored in this leg and a screw threaded member 3 is screwed in this hole. This member is provided with the head 4 for receiving the wrench or other tool for turning the member to screw it into the hole.

Anut5is.

screwed on said member and this nutengages the end of the leg and'isprovidedv with a circular projection 6 which is adapted to enter the wood. This nut and its "projection actstoprevent the wood from splitting after the screw threaded member has been screwed into, the hole. The lower part of said member 3 is provided with a bore 7 to receive the stem. 8 of the'caster 9. In the form shown in Figures l and 2 the stem is removably-held in said bore'by the spring tongues 10 formed on the member and engaging the rounded end of the-stem, said stem also being provided with the shallow annular groove 11 for receiving the inwardly bent portions of the spring tongues.

It will thus be seen that by rotating the member 3 in one. direction or theother the caster wheel may be adjusted in respect to the bottom ofv the leg so as to make the article of furniture set ,level on an uneven floor. Y

. In the modification 5 and 6, the screw threaded member 3 is shown in Figures 4,.

made in the form of a-shell and a cap 10 is placed in the upper end of this memben This cap is provided with tongues 10 for engaging the annular groove 11 formed in the stem. This cap carrie'sthe thrust member 12 which receives the upward thrust of thestem and said member is provided with an annular groove to receive the annular head 13 formed by providing the cap with screw. threaded member shown in the otherv The outer end of the sleeve is up figures. set and driven into the leg as shown at 17. In the modification shown in Figure 8 the cap 10 is formed integral with the screw threaded member 3" and in this case the member 12 is provided with a depres sion to receive the upper rounded end of the stem of the caster. In other respects this form of the invention is similar to that shown in the other figures.

In the form shown in Figure 9, ball bearings 14 are placed between the lower end of the screw threaded member 3 and the head of the caster so that thethrust member is not necessary. Said member 3* in this case is made in the form of a shell, open at its upper end, and provided with the tongues 10 for holding the caster in position.

It will thus be seen that the stem of the caster is detachably held in the body of the screw threaded member, the thrust member being held in the retainer cap and acting as an abutment against which the end of the stem bears.

It is thought from the foregoing descrip tion that the advantages and novel features of my invention will be readily apparent.

I desire it to be understood that I maymake changes in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. In combination with a caster including a roller and a stem, a screw threaded member having a cap placed in the upper end thereof, tongues provided on said cap for engaging the annular groove formed in the stem, a thrust member carried by said cap which receive the upward thrust of the stem, said member being provided with an annular groove, an annular bead received by said groove.

2. In combination with a caster including a roller and a stem, a screw threaded shell shaped member having a bore for receiving said stem, a cap having tongues provided thereon placed in the upper end of said member for engaging the annular groove formed in the stem, downwardly extending spring fingers associated with the member for holding the stem in the bore and the upper end of the shell shaped member being bent over to engage the cap.

3. In combination with a caster including a roller and a stem, a screw threaded member with a wrench receiving end and having a bore, a thrust member arranged in said bore to receive the upward thrust of the stem, tongues on said thrust member provided to engage the annular groove formed in the end of the stem, a set-nut provided on said screw threaded member, an inwardly screw threaded sleeve engagingover said screw threaded members and adapted to be inserted into a bore provided in the leg of an article of furniture, a flange formed on the outer edge of said sleeve which has upset teeth which are adapted to be driven into the furniture leg tohold it stationary to prevent the leg from splitting.

a. In combination with a caster including a roller and a stem, a screw threaded member having a wrench receiving end and a bore, tongues provided integral with said screw threaded member for engaging the annular groove formed in the end of the stem, a thrust member secured in the upper end of the screw threaded member for engaging the annular groove formed in the end of the stem, a thrust member secured in the upper end of the screw threaded member to receive the upward thrust of the stem.

5. In combination with a caster including a roller and a stem, a screw threaded member having a wrench receiving end and a bore, a thrust member for recelving the upward thrust of the stem, tongues provided integral with thrust member for engaging the annular groove formed in the end of the stem, and thrust member being firmly secured within said bore.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CAREY E. BUNKER. 

